Bobby Douglas obit

In Memory Of Bobby Douglas

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AMES, Iowa – Bobby Douglas, one of the most influential figures in collegiate wrestling history and Iowa State head wrestling coach from 1993-2006, passed away on Monday at the age of 83.

Douglas' impact on the sport of wrestling is immeasurable and his tenure as the Cyclone leader produced 52 All-America performances, 10 individual NCAA titles, three runner-up NCAA finishes and 198 dual victories.

He was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.

A native of Bridgeport, Ohio, Douglas had already established his legacy before arriving In Ames. The first black U.S. wrestler at the Olympics (1964, 1968), Douglas had a fourth-place featherweight finish at the 1964 Tokyo Games and captained the U.S. Olympic team in Mexico City (1968).

After beginning his coaching career in 1973 at Cal-Santa Barbara, Douglas spent 19 years as the head coach at Arizona State (1975-92), leading the Sun Devils to incredible heights, including a national title in 1988 in Hilton Coliseum. It marked just the third time since 1968 where either Iowa State or Iowa weren't crowned NCAA champions.

It was a major coup when ISU convinced Douglas to leave ASU and take over the reins of the Cyclone wrestling program prior to the 1992-93 season.

Seven times ISU finished in the top-6 at the NCAA Championship, including the three runner-up finishes (1996, 2000, 2002) under Douglas' tutelage. The 1995-1996 squad went to the NCAA Championship with only five qualifiers, but all five earned All-America status and three made the finals to shock the nation with a second-place finish.

In 1999-2000, the Cyclones recorded a 20-2 dual mark, won the National Duals and narrowly lost to Iowa at the NCAA Championship, as four Cyclones made the finals. Douglas' 2001-02 Cyclone squad was second at the NCAA Championship behind three NCAA champions.

Douglas coached the greatest collegiate wrestler in Cael Sanderson, who won four NCAA titles, was a three-time Hodge Trophy recipient and became the first undefeated four-year wrestler with a 159-0 career record at Iowa State (1999-2002). Sanderson was also the Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA meet four times.

Including Sanderson, Douglas mentored three four-time All-Americans (Sanderson, Joe Heskett, Dwight Hinson) at ISU and a Cyclone was the outstanding wrestler at the conference meet seven times in his 14 seasons.

Douglas was twice named Big Eight/12 Coach of the Year (1993, 2000), was the 2000 NWCA National Coach of the Year and the USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year in 2004.

Douglas resigned after the 2005-06 season to pass the baton to his assistant, Sanderson, who continued the tradition of Cyclone wrestling. Douglas won 198 dual matches in his outstanding Cyclone career, second only to the legendary Harold Nichols.

One of only four coaches in wrestling history to win over 400 career dual matches, Douglas' contributions go far beyond collegiate wrestling. He was a loyal and dedicated coach for USA Wrestling for many years. He was the head coach for the U.S. Olympic Team in 1992, as the U.S. team had six medalists, including four golds. He was an assistant coach on six U.S. Olympic teams (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2004), helping Cyclones Kevin Jackson and Sanderson win Gold Medals.

He was also the head coach for a pair of U.S. World Teams (1989, 1991).

The 1992 USA Wrestling Man of the Year, Douglas is also a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame, NAIA Hall of Fame, West Liberty Hall of Fame and Arizona State Hall of Fame.